This was a pretty awesome hike to begin with. Why ? Because this was going to be the longest i've ever walked. It was a 7.5 mile loop, of which the first 3.2 miles gained 2100 ft to the summit of Hamilton Mountain. [2438 ft].
It all began with a screeching alarm breaking my Sunday morning sleep. I could barely get "hmmms" and "ahmmms" answering my friend's phone call. I'll get ready dude, but just let me sleep for now ! My body probably already burnt 200 calories trying to get out of bed. And then there was this hike.
The drive to Beacon State Park was a mere 1.5 hours. It is in Washington state on the other side of the Columbia river. The views were going to be the same as Angel's Rest i thought. Columbia river, greenery and some snowy mountain tops. After paying the $10 parking fee, we began climbing at 10am.
The trail greeted us with a steady climb. Felt like i was on a treadmill. Just that the view was way better in comparison. Twisting and climbing, the trail cut through the forest as the Columbia river kept appearing intermittently. At about 0.6 miles, we reach the soothing Hardy Falls. The marshy climb down to the falls was a bit on the rough side. It was slippery and collected enough sticky mud on the shoes. Wiping it off we continued, this was going to be a long trail.
The trail has a fork at about a mile, where we chose to travel the "more difficult" route to the summit. It turned out to be a very good choice for the awesome views ! Yes, i didn't get fed up of the Columbia river at all ! As we climbed, the view became more breath-taking by the minute. It was so much fun i thought ! Bright sunshine shimmering on the waters of the Columbia, gushing waters of the Bonneville Dam, tall robust cliffs and the greenery ! What a beauty :)
Several short breaks and 3 hours later we reached the summit. Mt. Adams immediately caught my eye. A flat, wide snowy incline, it almost resembled a piece of chocolate. Table mountain was soaring a couple thousand feet above us. To the right, was the same view we had been seeing all along the trail. But just that on this occasion, they seemed better than ever. Sweet smell of sweat and the feeling of climbing a mountain (however small/short it may be) added to the glory of the scenery before us.
A couple granola bars and water sips later, we began the descent. And mind you, this for me, was the hardest part of the journey. Since this was a loop, the return path was supposed to be different. It was stony, stony and just more stony. Several stones of different shapes and sizes constantly jerked the knees and shin as we tried to control our downward pace. About an hour later we joined in with the original trail. This time we took a small diversion to see the 'Pool of the Winds'. A ton of water, constantly falling 50 feet, in a rocky room with open doors, created a rainbow, gushing sound and a spectacular scene. A mere presence at the sight can recharge a person. After all, what better than nature can heal us ?
Overall an awesome hike. The scenic views and short enough drive time make this a must visit for anyone in Portland, Oregon.
It all began with a screeching alarm breaking my Sunday morning sleep. I could barely get "hmmms" and "ahmmms" answering my friend's phone call. I'll get ready dude, but just let me sleep for now ! My body probably already burnt 200 calories trying to get out of bed. And then there was this hike.
The drive to Beacon State Park was a mere 1.5 hours. It is in Washington state on the other side of the Columbia river. The views were going to be the same as Angel's Rest i thought. Columbia river, greenery and some snowy mountain tops. After paying the $10 parking fee, we began climbing at 10am.
The trail greeted us with a steady climb. Felt like i was on a treadmill. Just that the view was way better in comparison. Twisting and climbing, the trail cut through the forest as the Columbia river kept appearing intermittently. At about 0.6 miles, we reach the soothing Hardy Falls. The marshy climb down to the falls was a bit on the rough side. It was slippery and collected enough sticky mud on the shoes. Wiping it off we continued, this was going to be a long trail.
The trail has a fork at about a mile, where we chose to travel the "more difficult" route to the summit. It turned out to be a very good choice for the awesome views ! Yes, i didn't get fed up of the Columbia river at all ! As we climbed, the view became more breath-taking by the minute. It was so much fun i thought ! Bright sunshine shimmering on the waters of the Columbia, gushing waters of the Bonneville Dam, tall robust cliffs and the greenery ! What a beauty :)
Several short breaks and 3 hours later we reached the summit. Mt. Adams immediately caught my eye. A flat, wide snowy incline, it almost resembled a piece of chocolate. Table mountain was soaring a couple thousand feet above us. To the right, was the same view we had been seeing all along the trail. But just that on this occasion, they seemed better than ever. Sweet smell of sweat and the feeling of climbing a mountain (however small/short it may be) added to the glory of the scenery before us.
A couple granola bars and water sips later, we began the descent. And mind you, this for me, was the hardest part of the journey. Since this was a loop, the return path was supposed to be different. It was stony, stony and just more stony. Several stones of different shapes and sizes constantly jerked the knees and shin as we tried to control our downward pace. About an hour later we joined in with the original trail. This time we took a small diversion to see the 'Pool of the Winds'. A ton of water, constantly falling 50 feet, in a rocky room with open doors, created a rainbow, gushing sound and a spectacular scene. A mere presence at the sight can recharge a person. After all, what better than nature can heal us ?
Overall an awesome hike. The scenic views and short enough drive time make this a must visit for anyone in Portland, Oregon.
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